DCW row: Jung acts tough

NEW DELHI: A turf war between the Aam Aadmi Party government and Delhi lieutenant governor intensified on Wednesday after Najeeb Jung declared his office synonymous with the government of Delhi and dismissed an AAP appointment of a women’s panel chief as lacking legal sanctity.

The latest flashpoint was a letter from Jung’s office to the chief minister saying his approval had not been sought in appointing Arvind Kejriwal ’s associate, Swati Maliwal as the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief.

“In respect to the NCT (national capital territory) of Delhi the government means the lieutenant governor of the NCT of Delhi appointed by the president under Article 239 and designated as such under Article 239 AA of the Constitution,” Jung’s secretary, SCL Das, said in the letter.

“As the notification in question has been issued without the lieutenant governor’s approval, the competent authority, in breach of rules and procedures, the notification has no legal sanctity and any action taken by the chairperson or any member of the commission, including quasi-judicial decisions, would be ultra vires and infructuous,” the letter said.

According to Maliwal, the L-G called her up on Wednesday evening asking her to not report to of fice on Thursday and return all files related to the commission.

“The L-G called my office and I was informed that I wasn’t to sign any files or documents. The message was very clear that I shouldn’t be in office tomorrow,” Maliwal told HT. The L-G office, however, denied the allegation.